Activities for the whole family!
Curator for A Day Family Activity
Become a curator for a day! Research and share your family heirloom with us.
Salmon Obstacle Course
Lonesome Larry, the only sockeye salmon to complete the journey back to Redfish Lake in 1992. Create an obstacle course and find out who in your family completes the journey.
Jammin’ To Jazz Family Activity
Learn about the history of jazz musicians in Idaho. Create your own Jazz-inspired artwork while listening to a curated playlist of jazz music.
Floral Frenzy Family Activity Historians learn a lot about people and cultures from the clothes that they wear. Create a floral inspired craft with materials found at home!
Paper Parfleche Activity Sheet
A parfleche (par-flesh) is a rawhide carrying case made by Plains and Plateau Native Americans. These nomadic tribes needed ways to carry their food, clothing, and tools on the move. Design and decorate your very own paper parfleche with this hands on activity guide!
Magnetic Compass Activity
A compass helps explorers find their way because it always points north. Learn more about this tool and create your own to use on your adventures!
Gold Rush in Idaho!
Gold is precious, rare and valuable. During the gold rush boom towns popped up all over the Northwest. It brought people from all over the world to the American west. Try your hand at panning for gold with this activity.
Boat Builders
A boat is usually propelled by oars, sails, or an engine. The Idaho State Museum features a few different kinds of boats in the exhibits. Learn more about these boats and create a boat of your own to see if it will float!
Idaho’s State Seal
Learn more about the Great Seal of the State of Idaho. Create your own version of the state seal with words and images that symbolize important things that make Idaho great!
Become an Archaeologist at Home
An archaeologist is a scientist who uses artifacts to tell a story about the past. They go on digs to find new information and artifacts which helps them learn more about what happened in history.
Become an archaeologist at home by reconstructing an ancient pot.
Have you wondered what happens on an archaeological dig? Here’s a chance to build your very own archaeological site.
Grab your crayons, colored pencils, or markers and check out these coloring pages.
Geronimo
In 1948, just after WWII, beavers became a bit of a problem for those living in McCall, Idaho. Elmo W. Heter and the Idaho Fish and Game Department had to find a way to move and relocate beavers. Heter built boxes that were engineered to open when they land. Planes and surplus parachutes from the war were acquired and a beaver they called Geronimo became the first to sky dive for science! Parachuting Beavers Video
Lonesome Larry
Only one sockeye salmon survived the 900-mile trip up the Columbia and Snake Rivers to the ocean and back in 1992. They call him Lonesome Larry. Idaho’s Redfish Lake historically had a sockeye salmon population that numbered in the thousands, giving the lake its name due to sockeye salmon turn bright red during spawning season. The epic journey that salmon had to make took a toll on the species over time with fish ladders and predators creating obstacles along the way. Lonesome Larry was captured by biologists and used to help repopulate the salmon in the area.
Idaho
Throughout history, Idaho’s land and people have shaped each other. The state is unique for its varied landscapes and ecosystems including, deserts, prairies, mountains, forests, and wetlands. For thousands of years, humans living in Idaho have found ways to utilize the land and have changed their way of life based on where they live.
Wrinkles the Bloodhound
Here’s a story and coloring page on Wrinkles, a bloodhound behind bars.
Champ the Bullfrog
A prized bullfrog living in a pond in a prison yard. Here’s Champ’s story and coloring page.
Convict Crooner
From prison bands to holiday programs, the Idaho State Penitentiary often filled with music. Here’s a crooner for you to color!
Penitentiary Pete
Take Penitentiary Pete, your prison tour guide along, for your virtual visit to the Old Idaho Penitentiary.
ISM Stained Glass Dome Opened in 1910, this stained glass dome was in the center of the Owyhee hotel’s lobby. The Boise newspaper proclaimed that the Owyhee was the “handsomest hotel in the West.” When the Owyhee underwent renovations in the 1970s, its owners donated the dome to the Idaho State Historical Society. Today, it can be seen in the Idaho State Museum.
Idaho Highway Historical Markers
Out for a drive? Connect with Idaho’s history by visiting these markers and read about the events, places, and personalities of Idaho.
Idaho Historical Markers Map
1 page pdf document
Idaho Highway Historical Marker Guide
164 page pdf document
